Magic Moment
Reports
One of the joys of living on Arran is the unexpected encounters with wildlife; magic moments that brighten the day and live in the memory for a long time. On Tuesday 16 April, Fiona Laing had one of those magic moments as she was going about her daily work delivering papers etc round the island and she shared it with me.
This is an extract of Fiona’s account in her own words. You will get a flavour of the increasing excitement.
I first saw the bird as I was passing Craig an Iar in Corriecarvie. It was over the field on the landward side but almost appeared as if it was hedgehopping it was so close to the ground. I knew it wasn't a Buzzard but was slightly confused from the angle I was seeing it at. I went round the sharp bend at the Neuk and it was up on my right over the gorse(as one of the pictures shows) it was then I realised what it was. It was an Osprey. It flew over to the seaward side, it was being mobbed by a couple of corvids. It then proceeded to fly along the top of the bank down on the left where the cattle are at windy corner. I stopped at one point, and it was flying below me, didn't get out in time for a picture. The bird then continued to fly along both side of the road and at one point was flying a few feet above the road, about 15 metres in front of me. I am hugely disappointed that my dashcam malfunctioned. The bird then continued on the landward side and, as you'll see from some of the pictures taken from behind it, it was only about 20 metres, if that, away from me. The bird then flew slightly higher up the landward slope as you can see from the wires in one of the pictures. Eventually it flew to the shore side before it went back over the top of the van, casting it’s shadow over me. I then hurried to get to you, hoping you were in, before it arrived overhead at Kilpatrick.
And I was in. Fiona rattled the kitchen door and barged in spewing out words. Even with my hearing aids out, I got the excitement. I got the message. Out on my driveway, stunned, I watched an Osprey overhead being mobbed by a Hooded Crow as Fiona drove off to continue her work. A magic moment.
The final words are Fiona’s: I am extremely privileged to have had this encounter with such a magnificent creature, an encounter never to be forgotten and given all the hassle I have going on just now has lifted my mood hugely.
